3D-imaging technology to precisely spot deadly lung disease

ISLAMABAD: Using advanced 3D X-ray imaging technology, a team of British scientists has revealed how an aggressive form of lung disease develops in the body.

Originally designed for the analysis of engineering parts such as jet turbine blades, the powerful scanning equipment at the University of Southampton has been used to image Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) lung tissue samples for the first time. IPF is usually diagnosed via a hospital CT scan or by using a microscope to view a lung biopsy sample.

Southampton researchers have now successfully applied “Microfocus CT” machine to image biopsy samples. This allowed them to view each lung sample with a level of detail similar to an optical microscope but now in 3D. While accurate diagnosis of IPF is essential to start the correct treatment, in certain cases, this can be extremely challenging to do using the tools currently available, Medical Xpress reported.

“This technology advance is very exciting as for the first time it gives us the chance to view lung biopsy samples in 3D. We think that the new information gained from seeing the lung in 3D has the potential to transform how diseases such as IPF are diagnosed,” said Mark Jones, a Welcome Trust fellow from the University of Southampton.

“It will also help increase our understanding of how these scarring lung diseases develop which we hope will ultimately mean better dtargeted treatments are developed for every patient,” he added.